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Renesas RA8P1 Microcontrollers Redefine Edge AI with 1GHz Cortex-M Performance and On-Chip NPU




Renesas has reimagined what’s possible in the microcontroller space with the launch of the RA8P1 series—the world’s first Arm Cortex-M-based MCUs to break the 1 GHz barrier. By integrating a high-speed CPU core, dedicated neural processing unit (NPU), advanced memory architecture, and rich peripheral support, the RA8P1 bridges the gap between traditional MCUs and low-power application processors. This innovation unlocks a new tier of performance for edge AI, real-time analytics, and secure processing—all within a familiar MCU development framework.


1GHz Cortex-M85 Ushers in a New Era of Embedded Performance

At the heart of the RA8P1 series lies Arm’s Cortex-M85, operating at an industry-first 1 GHz clock speed in an MCU. The Cortex-M85 supports Arm’s M-profile Vector Extension (MVE) for SIMD processing, optimized for digital signal processing (DSP) workloads. It includes an IEEE 754-2008 compliant floating-point unit for half-, single-, and double-precision calculations.
To enhance real-time responsiveness and enable task separation, select RA8P1 variants incorporate a secondary 250 MHz Cortex-M33 core. This dual-core architecture allows developers to assign critical real-time or security operations to the M33, while the M85 handles heavy compute tasks. Together, the two cores deliver over 7,300 CoreMark, making RA8P1 the highest-performing Cortex-M-class device on the market today.



Integrated NPU Delivers 35x Faster AI Inference at the Edge

The RA8P1 goes far beyond raw CPU speed by incorporating the Arm Ethos-U55 NPU, a dedicated AI inference engine optimized for Cortex-M-class devices. Running at 500 MHz, the NPU achieves 256 GOPS through 256 8x8 MACs per cycle and supports both 8-bit and 16-bit quantized convolutional and recurrent neural networks.
This architecture delivers up to 35x performance gains over CPU-only inference, enabling complex models like MobileNetV2, ResNet, TinyYOLO, and DS-CNN to run directly on the MCU. Operators unsupported by the NPU are automatically executed on the Cortex-M85, ensuring end-to-end neural network workflows—including preprocessing, inference, and postprocessing—are fully self-contained within the device, with no need for cloud or co-processor offloading.





22nm Process with Embedded MRAM Enhances Efficiency and Reliability

Renesas built the RA8P1 on TSMC’s 22nm ultra-low-leakage (22ULL) process technology, enabling high-frequency operation with minimal static power consumption. Notably, the RA8P1 replaces traditional embedded flash memory with embedded MRAM (Magnetoresistive RAM).
MRAM offers significant advantages:
Faster write speeds
Higher endurance
Better data retention, especially at elevated temperatures
Byte-level addressability without erase cycles
These features make MRAM ideal for storing runtime parameters and frequently updated AI models. The RA8P1 provides up to 1MB of MRAM and 2MB of ECC-protected SRAM. System-in-package (SiP) variants offer up to 8MB of external flash via an Octal SPI interface with decryption-on-the-fly (DOTF) support, ensuring secure and scalable memory access.


Optimized Peripheral Set for Vision, Audio, and Industrial AI Applications


The RA8P1 includes a comprehensive set of peripherals designed for multimodal AI and human-machine interface (HMI) applications:
Vision: Supports MIPI CSI-2 and 16-bit parallel camera interfaces, enabling up to 5-megapixel image input. A built-in capture engine performs preprocessing to reduce software load.
Graphics: A 2D drawing engine and WXGA-capable LCD controller enable smooth local display output.
Audio: Integrated support for PDM microphones and an enhanced serial sound interface (SSIE) supports stereo digital audio for applications like keyword spotting or acoustic anomaly detection.
Connectivity: Equipped with USB 2.0 FS/HS, CAN-FD, SDHI, I3C, and Gigabit Ethernet with Layer 3 switch and Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) support, the RA8P1 is ready for industrial-grade networking and edge communication.


Bridging the MCU and MPU Divide for Edge Intelligence

With its combination of high-speed cores, on-chip AI acceleration, MRAM-based architecture, and industrial I/O, the RA8P1 effectively blurs the line between microcontrollers (MCUs) and microprocessors (MPUs). Developers benefit from:
● Real-time performance
● MCU-level power efficiency
● Scalable AI capabilities
● Simplified development using familiar MCU tools and IDEs

Renesas also offers the EK-RA8P1 evaluation kit, with support for the Flexible Software Package (FSP), e² Studio IDE, and third-party RTOS frameworks like Zephyr—enabling fast prototyping, reduced development costs, and rapid time-to-market.


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